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Eerie Naverius (Episode Oracle)
250px |episode number = 2 |JP Air Date = October 14, 2019 |USA Air Date = October 14, 2019 |opening theme = Destiny |ending theme = Timeless Fortune |previous episode title = I've Been Waiting for this Day (Episode Oracle) |next episode title = Perfect ARKS (Episode Oracle) }} Eerie Naverius, with the expanded episode title of The Unsettling Planet Naverius, is the second episode of the Phantasy Star Online 2: Episode Oracle series. It aired on October 14, 2019 on Japanese television networks, and was simulcast by Funimation with English subtitles on the same day for the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland audiences. Plot 'Opening Sequence: At the Shopping District' Following the previous harrowing events, Ash is rested and dressed comfortably in his civilian wear, walking through the shopping district. On his way, his comrade Afin, in high spirits, greets him still in awe that they have both been recruited into the ARKS. The newman asks where Ash is going and if he can come with. Ash tells Afin that he is heading for the medical center to visit Matoi, the mysterious girl he, Afin, Zeno, and Echo had met previously by a great tree on Planet Naverius, and amicably adds, "it's up to you," if Afin wanted to come along. 'Visiting Matoi' In her room, Matoi is lying down on her bed staring at the wall in deep thought when she hears a knock. She tells her guest to come in and is surprised to see that it is the duo that saved her. Afin introduces himself to Matoi and the three converse, attempting to gently prod her memory for any information that she may remember now that she is awake and feeling better. Unfortunately she still cannot recall anything about her past, where she is from or why she was on Naverius. She tells them that she only knows her name and, for some reason, Ash's name, too. When she asks if perhaps she and Ash had met sometime, Afin poses the question to Ash, to which he says he knows nothing. At a standstill, Afin is on the verge of giving up when they hear a silly commotion in the hallway. Two girls eagerly press a nurse to let them through but are told that they have to go through the proper channels first. Suddenly, the handheld devices beep and alert the two that they are needed for a mission. Matoi asks her guests where they are headed. Ash, wanting to follow protocol, is about to tell her that the information is confidential when Afin blurts out that it will be on Naverius. Matoi begs the two to allow her to go with them since she was found there and she may know that scenery from somewhere, potentially leading to her remembering something. Since she is not among the ARKS and is currently an unknown variable, they tell her that the request is impossible without a good reason. Although initially dejected, she understands and, with a smile, tells them to take care. 'Mission Briefing with Commander Kohana' Near the campship, Ash and Afin are dumbstruck to find Matoi standing next to Kohana, their commander for this mission. Kohana explains that a special exception was made for the civilian Matoi to accompany them. There has been an increase in falspawn activity on Naverius since the other day, so it is their mission to locate and exterminate any falspawn in the area. Afin hesitantly asks why a civilian was granted permission to come with them, but Kohana ignores him and, no longer fielding any other questions, she commands them to board the campship. Afin and Ash look at each other bewildered but find the humor in the situation, assuming this is a quirk of the ARKS, and board the ship. Elsewhere at his computer, Casra observes the mission information and discovers that Matoi will be involved. He asks the operator who authorized her to join the mission, but the operator matter-of-factly informs him that Control gave special permission and thought that he was aware of the details. Casra falls into silent thought. Now all boarded, the team sits on the campship in unease. Ash notes that Kohana seems to be a "scary person" and Afin adds that the rumors say she is skilled enough to potentially be the next to stand on the Council of Six. Annoyed by their banter, Kohana tells them to stop the gossip since "they say rampaging dragons like to eat motormouths." Interested in this, Ash asks what exactly a rampaging dragon is. Kohana explains that it is a rogue dragon that attacks ARKS on sight, and, in another attempt to do away with the chatter, tells him to shut up so that he won't get eaten. Arriving at the site of their mission, the team descends to the forest planet below. 'Planet Naverius' With their arrival confirmed, the team begins their reconnaissance mission. Through the lush trees, the dense forests, the rocky mountains, they scout. Local oodan natives are spotted and immediately destroyed in cold blood. Sometime during their trek they take a break near the great tree where Ash and Afin had discovered Matoi. As they stare at the tree and relive scenes from the previous day, Ash asks Matoi if she remembers anything. Matoi, still in awe of the place, says this is a place of nostalgia for her, believing "something incredibly heartwarming happened here" but she does not recall anything further or in detail. Kohana watches them from a distance but becomes distracted by something in the distance. An unsettling, red growth is protruding ever so slightly from beyond the mountains in the distance. It is an anomaly that contrasts against the seemingly peaceful outward appearance of the forest planet. As she focuses on the ominous sight, she appears anxious and almost frightened. Her eyes change from teal to a glowing shade of red and the pupils begin to slit down the middle. Her intense gaze is interrupted when her handheld device beeps, awaiting her answer. Her eyes change back to normal and she regains her composure, answering the call. The operator informs the team that spacial corruption has been detected in their search area and to be alert of falspawn. Just as the final words are spoken, a dagan falspawn appears behind Matoi. Ash intercepts and beheads the creature in one fell swoop of his sword, however, more dagan surround them led by a giant kartargot. Unable to act as they wrap their heads around the situation, the kartargot begins channeling energy and launches a laser directly at them. Kohana holds the energy back with her weapon to the best of her ability but begins to feel the stress of fatigue. Suddenly, Gettemhult jumps forward and destroys the kartargot in one swing of his fists while Melfonseana, with the cover of the forest, uses a lightning technique to fry the remaining dagans to a crisp. With the falspawn threat eliminated for now, Melfonseana recognizes some of them as people they met before and greets Kohana. Gettemhult commands Seana to cease speaking with idiots. Kohana thanks Gettemhult for the assist but he admonishes her for being held back by the new recruits. She explains that she has a job to protect them and the civilian Matoi for their recon assignment. Gettemhult, fascinated, approaches Matoi. Frightened, she takes shelter behind Ash, who stands forward in an effort to defend her. Gettemhult laughs at his bravado when Kohana stands in front of both of them, telling Gettemhult to knock it off. Disgusted that Kohana does not have the will to crush her opponents and believing she can protect others lacking that, he takes his leave. Melfonseana, in her observation, informs the group that she believed that his words just then were those of advice. She tells them that it is rare for Gettemhult to concern himself over others, and she feels envious that they were the ones to receive that side of him. Gettemhult hears Seana dawdle and yells at her that they must leave, to which she excuses herself and the two continue onward once more. Kohana tells the rookies that Gettemhult is quite powerful but also very rude. Also noticing the oddity of his actions, she asks Ash if they had any previous connection with him. Ash plainly tells her that they barely met him the other day. Kohana then tells Ash that, "I think he picks up a scent close to his own from you," and warns that if he continues destroying falspawn, his own heart might become consumed by hatred like Gettemhult. Afin asks her why he is so angry all the time, and she reveals that he is this way because he is upset at himself for what happened ten years ago. She considers going further with her explanation but stops herself, figuring it wouldn't make a difference. After some small talk, the team continues their mission through the forest. 'The Unseen Threat' After another long walk, the team comes across a group of falspawn. Kohana alerts HQ, who then pages other ARKS for backup. Now spotted and the dagans approaching, Kohana tells the operator that there may not be enough time for that. She tells her unit that she will draw the swarm away and Ash will be responsible for eliminating the stragglers. Afin will be in charge of keeping Matoi safe somewhere far from the skirmish. He acknowledges and sneaks Matoi off behind some rocks. The dagans now charging, Kohana fires multiple rounds from her gunslash at the swarm while Ash runs out the side. Engaging the enemy in a full frontal assault, she slams through a dagan and feels a rush of euphoria as its blood grotesquely drenches her face. Ash corners a lone dagan and kills it, and then turns around in time to see Kohana leap above the entire enemy mob and slash through each and every one of them. She falls to the ground panting, gasps and then looks at the particles floating from where the dagans she slayed once stood. Amazed by her incredible display of skill, Ash asks her if she is all right. She apologizes and says she is, then, with regained composure, informs HQ that the falspawn have been eliminated. Suddenly, a sniper in the distance fires a bullet that just barely misses Kohana's head. The sniper reveals herself, apologizing and explaining that she thought Kohana was a falspawn and did not realize she was a fellow ARKS. As Afin attempts to chide her for doing something dangerous so carelessly, the female cast obsesses over her love of guns and their ability to kill from a distance. Beginning to feel an urge come on, the seemingly unstable cast excuses herself and then bids them good day a second time while staring them directly in the eyes. Laughing, she runs off toward the forest. Afin and Matoi watch as she hovers out of sight. Ash looks over his shoulder at Kohana who, still on the ground, is staring intently at something. He turns his gaze to where she is looking and sees an ominous red growth that appears root-like beyond the mountains. Kohana once again appears anxious, eyes changing, when suddenly a falspawn appears. This danger distracts her, allowing her to regain her composure long enough to fire a shot from her gunslash at the target, eradicating it. Particles fly from its carcass into the air. Afin cheers her but she ignores him, starting to fall into another episode of panting and gasping for air. Of the three who stare at her in worry, Afin hesitantly calls her name. She wheezes for air and then turns her frenzied gaze at them. Drool lines the side of her mouth. Ash, Afin, and Matoi are shocked but don't know how to react over this strange turn of events. Kohana tries to hold herself back, eyes closed and teeth clenched, but when she reopens them, her eyes are now once again red. She screams, raising her weapon and thrusts the blade at them. Ash blocks her with his sword and yells her name in an attempt to reach her sense of reasoning. This works and she gasps, realizing what she is doing but cannot seem to stop herself. Clenching her hand over her face, she yells and sprints in the opposite direction to get away from them. Ash takes lead and tells his comrades to give chase. 'Meet Pati and Tia, the Informant Sisters' They manage to follow Kohana's footprints for a time, but soon come to a dead stop when the trail drops off. Ash kicks the grass in frustration when suddenly a girl greets the confused trio, asking if they need a helping hand. Before the team now are two short newmen girls that are also apart of the ARKS organization. Tia, the younger sister, apologizes for her energetic sister, Pati, calling out to them so suddenly. Afin recognizes them as the nosy ones responsible for the commotion in the hallway at the medical center, to which Pati corrects him, saying she is not nosy but actually an informant. Now excited that she can finally meet the one without any personal data, Pati walks over to Matoi in glee. Ash tells her to stop her childish antics since they don't have the time for it now, which Pati agrees, asking if they are searching for Kohana. Tia apologizes again and, together with her sister, explains why Kohana is acting strangely. ARKS are capable of absorbing the F-Factor particles that gush out from the corpses of fallen falspawn and purifying them in a process known as F-Factor Purification. This is one of the basic abilities that all ARKS possess, however, everyone has their own limit for how much they can purify. Once more F-Factor is absorbed into the person than they are capable of handling, the person goes berserk, as exhibited by what is currently afflicting Kohana. Pati facetiously adds, with her hands crooked up like a ghost, that perhaps one may even become a falspawn if enough F-Factor is absorbed... Matoi gasps while Tia stares at her sister, unamused, explaining that what she said is impossible and has never happened to any ARKS. Pati smiles and Tia, also smiling, comforts the group, saying Kohana can still recover if they hurry her to the medical center. The sisters offer to help the team in their search, assuring them that they will stake out this area so that Ash, Afin, and Matoi can continue searching elsewhere. Pati adds that, if they find Kohana and everything turns out okay, they must let her get an interview with Matoi later. The girls run off while the trio continue ever onward. 'Tragedy Veiled in Mystery' The forest planet is blanketed in a calm sea of orange contrasting with the serious nature of everyone's search. It is now sunset and Kohana has still not been found. Ash leads his comrades through a crevice when he stops. Troubled by the sight of a gloved hand just visible beyond one of the rocky ledges, he commands Matoi to stay there while he and Afin investigate. Sword armed, the two slowly approach. Before them is the body of their former commander, Kohana, drenched in blood and mutilated. The hand that they saw has a deep wound that is the source of one of the bloody puddles. Her torso has been severed from her legs in a clean cut. Her face permanently contorted in a final gaze of shock. Afin stares in nausea, convinced that this is the work of the rampaging dragon that Kohana mentioned on the campship earlier, since nothing else could stand a chance against her might. A gust of wind blows against them from above. Turning their gaze to the source, they find a ship hovering. The man aboard urges them to leave the area at once since the body may be contaminated. He repeats for them to leave as the ship begins to descend. The trio move out of the way onto a ledge nearby and can only watch as the ship takes flight into the horizon. Matoi asks if Kohana was really killed by a rampaging dragon. Ash disagrees, saying the wound was made by a blade in a single cut. Afin, alarmed that a person was strong enough to defeat someone that could rival the Council of Six, falls to his knees, says he has had enough, and opens his handheld device to request to return to the ship informing the operator that their commander died and they are unable to continue the mission. The operator at Control hears his request and denies him permission to return. With all three now even more perplexed, Afin asks why and Control explains they they were not informed the reason for declining his request. Only that they are to continue the mission. Afin, now frustrated, once again attempts to reason with them that Kohana is dead, and Control coldly repeats that permission to return is denied and that they must continue with the mission. Afin looks for solace in his comrades. Ash stays silent while Matoi's gaze turns to the ground. In the distance near her, Ash notices a shadow standing on a tree branch, watching them. In the blink of an eye, it is gone and Ash muses that it was just his imagination. 'Disillusion' Nighttime has befallen the unsettling Planet Naverius. Sparks from the campfire fly into the starry night sky. Matoi is fast asleep, worn out with the events of the day, while Ash and Afin sit by the fire in exhaustion. Afin asks his partner if their situation is a bit strange. They were made to escort Matoi, a civilian, on a mission that must now be continued by rookies without their leader even though she died under extreme circumstances. Ash figures someone else was there to inform Control about her death. When they found her body, the blood was fresh so she could not have died too long before then. The recovery ship arrived too fast for them to not have known in advance. Afin listens to this and says that he always knew that the ARKS were strange from the beginning. They eradicate falspawn in a selfless effort to bring peace to the universe, and yet, with how heroic they are made to be in the public eye, almost everyone he has met so far is stranger than the last. Ash bluntly replies, saying there may be another side to ARKS than meets the eye. Afin calls Ash's logic crazy talk and dejectedly looks to the sky. Afin asks Ash if he remembers why the newman said he joined ARKS. He tells his friend that it was because he is looking for something, and by something he means someone in his family. Ash hears him out and plainly says "I see." Agitated, Afin asks him what kind of reaction is that. When Ash makes no attempt to say anything further, he drops his arms and continues. He joined ARKS to search for his big sister, figuring if he was able to travel all over space, he may eventually find her. Ash asks him if she is missing. The young newman says that she is, and that she actually went missing ten years ago during the falspawn attack. He has been looking for her ever since. During his explanation, Ash looks to the ground. Afin then mentions that something also happened to Gettemhult ten years ago, which was briefly alluded to by Kohana earlier, and wonders if it is all really just a coincidence. Ash, clutching his necklace, hesitantly admits to Afin that he has no memory of ten years ago. Trivia *This episode debuts a new civilian outfit for Matoi that has thus far appeared exclusively in this anime series. Gallery : ''The Phantasy Star wiki has an extensive image gallery for this episode. '' Category:Phantasy Star Online 2 Episode Oracle